Meanwhile, Wall Street warned that any false moves or election-year gimmicks could cause more downgrades of the Garden State's credit rating. Plus, a dozen consumer, labor and religious leaders gathered Monday at the Statehouse to encourage Christie to accept billions of dollars from Obamacare to expand the Medicaid program.

But there has been a lot of other news circulating through the state capital in recent days:

CHRISTIE 'ON NOTICE'

THE LATEST ON ASHBRITT

Democrats who control the state Senate and Assembly will hold joint hearings to investigate how New Jersey responded to Hurricane Sandy — focusing especially on the Christie administration's controversial decision to award a no-bid contract to Florida debris removal firm AshBritt Inc.

This weekend, former Mississippi governor Haley Barbour, a partner in the lobbying firm that represents AshBritt's Washington interest, defended the state's hiring of the company.

FROM THE WEEKEND

Scores of towns, public officials and corporations may soon see a resolution to one of the most expensive waste cases in U.S. history. A confidential proposal would allow towns to pull themselves from the case involving Passaic River pollution.

Gallery: US Senator Robert Menendez Attends 3rd Annual Black History Month Celebration At Shiloh Baptist Church

MENENDEZ DENIES ALLEGATIONS AGAIN

U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) once again lashed out at the allegations of misconduct that have dogged him for weeks. "I have worked too hard and too long in the vineyards to allow, at my hands, for the harvest to be soured," Menendez said.

DGA TO HELP BUONO?

Reporting from Washington, The Star-Ledger Jenna Portnoy explores how the Democratic Governors Association is poised to help state Democratic Sen. Barbara Buono in her campaign against Christie for the governor's seat.

BOOKER FOR SENATE FUND

Newark Mayor Cory Booker has been coy on whether he is running for U.S. Senate next year. But he told his thousands of twitter followers to head to his website to learn how to donate to his campaign.

A CONTROVERSIAL NEW TREATMENT

New Jersey is had begun admitting patients to a controversial program that now gives judges the authority to order those with severe mental illness to get outpatient treatment if they pose a danger "within the reasonably foreseeable future."

SEQUESTRATION

The talk in Washington lately has been focused on sequestration, or the automatic spending cuts scheduled to take effect March 1.

IN OTHER NEWS

• Christie is expected to name former federal prosecutor Elie Honig as the next director of the state Division of Criminal Justice, according to two sources with knowledge of the move.

• CVS-Caremark has agreed to pay $650,000 and improve quality assurance and oversight measures after five of its pharmacies mixed prescription medications for vastly different conditions in the same pill bottle, the state Attorney General's Office said.

• Indicted state Assmeblyman Robert Schroeder has been banned from doing business with the federal government for failing to pay subcontractors and deliver on tents ordered for soldiers in Afghanistan.

POLITICS AROUND THE WEB

• NorthJersey.com: A judge in New Jersey who is also a stand-up comic? Apparently, it's not a joke. The state Supreme Court is set to begin hearing whether Vince Sicari can do both jobs. He is a municipal judge in South Hackensack.

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• NorthJersey.com: Parker Space, the Sussex County Freeholder director, has been chosen by Republican county committee members from Sussex, Warren and Morris counties to fill an empty seat in the 24th Legislative District in the state Assembly.

• PolitickerNJ.com.: Two Democratic Assembly members have proposed legislation that requires independent expenditure committees to disclose both their expenditures and their contributions during the election season.